


Just One (Is All It Takes)

by RayneSummer



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Also Some Humour, Gen, Gwaine POV for some reason, Hurt/Comfort, everyone beginning with G is great for Merlin, me the ceo of i will not write abt merlin and arthur, sick Merlin, there is enough of that. i will write abt every other (better) relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26141326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayneSummer/pseuds/RayneSummer
Summary: "The castle isn't going to grind to a halt just because Merlin's ill."Gwaine squinted suspiciously at the prince, who looked like he didn't really believe his own statement that much, and said, in almost prefect imitation of the missing manservant, "If you say so, Sire."Arthur glared.
Relationships: Gaius & Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 227





	Just One (Is All It Takes)

**Author's Note:**

> It is raining and cold today and this came into my head while walking my dog in said rain and cold.
> 
> Title is from a song lyrics bc I couldn't think of anything else that works;  
> Just one  
> Is all it takes  
> For the barrier to break / The choice that you must make  
> ( as in, one person is out and Camelot descends into chaos ha, but only bc it's Merlin who literally holds everything together )

Gwaine walked in unannounced to the Court Physician chambers and was greeted with a sneeze.

"Hello to you too," he replied good-naturedly, wandering over to look down at where a certain servant was huddled in a chair with a blanket clutched tightly around him. Gwaine grinned when a face peered up from him from the huddle, looking thoroughly unimpressed with its current predicament. "What's wrong with you?"

Merlin made a face and coughed grumpily. "I don't like the cold," came a muffled reply as he burrowed his face back into the blanket.

"Of course," Gwaine agreed mildly, politely ignoring the fact that it was rather nice and warm in the chambers, given the hearty fire roaring the hearth, the brazier lit to keep a pot of food warm, and the various candles scattered on several surfaces. It made the environment quite cosy, given the rain lashing against the window while the wind howled. Autumn tended to be a bit unsure of what it wanted to deliver each year, and Merlin had previously been put out that this September would not be as kind as the previous one.

Another bout of coughing came from the chair nest, and Gwaine was wondering where other room's usual occupant was, and if he should be doing something like some sort of responsible person, when the door opened hurried behind him.

"Merlin," a voice scolded immediately, so quickly that Gwaine had to bite back a grin at the fierce expression on the physician's face as Gaius moved into the room and straight over to his ward, who seemed to be wishing he had listened to whatever he was about to be berated for, given the way he valiantly tried to actually disappear into the blanket around him. "Why on earth are you out of bed?"

The servant sniffed pathetically and grumbled under his breath as Gaius put a hand to his forehead and clicked his tongue like a disappointed mother. 

"I'm cold," he managed in a half-hearted reply. Gwaine, who was standing just a few steps back and had already established it was not cold, watched the exchange with vague amusement. It was disheartening to find Merlin ill, but he wasn't too concerned. It was Merlin, after all.

Gaius sighed and turned to step to a nearby table, where he picked up a vial. "It's not cold here," he said patiently, walking back to Merlin's chair, "You're just running quite the fever." He tapped the warlock on the shoulder and held out the vial, waiting for Merlin to slowly extract a hand and take it. "Drink that, all of it," he ordered sternly, and waited until Merlin unhappily brought the vial to his lips before turning wearily to Gwaine with a raised eyebrow.

Although he hadn't done anything wrong - as far as he knew, at least - Gwaine felt immediately chastised, and had to prevent himself from holding up his hands in surrender.

"And what are you here for, Sir Gwaine?"

Gwaine shuffled awkwardly, and caught Merlin ducking his head to hide a ghost of a smile after he finished the potion. "Just wondering where Merlin was," Gwaine answered truthfully. Gaius' expression didn't change. "Arthur said he was here?"

"Hm. You didn't bring any excitement, I hope?" Gaius automatically took the vial from Merlin's lax hand before it could drop to the floor and smash, without barely a glance. Gwaine felt like he should feel intimidated. 

He shook his head in what he hoped was a satisfying gesture. "No, just me, being as boring as humanely possible."

Merlin huffed a laugh that turned into a cough, turning his head to muffle the sounds in the blanket. Gaius glanced briefly at him in concern before focusing back on Gwaine. "Good. Well, as I told the prince, Merlin will be unable to join you for a day or so--" The servant in question made a strangled sound that had both men looking at him.

After a few more coughs, he managed to croak out in an attempt at dismay, "You told Arthur?"

"Do you think Arthur wouldn't notice?" Gwaine retorted, trying not to roll his eyes. "The man can hardly leave a room without you at his toes, mate. Even his observation skills aren't terrible enough to realise you aren't around."

He got a half-hearted glare for that - and a warning look from Gaius - before Merlin addressed his guardian again, this time in what could only be described as a whine. "Please tell me you didn't tell Gwen."

Gaius took the opportunity to check his ward's eyes before answering, using a gentle to hand to tip his face up a little more. After a second, he retracted the hand and instead patted the boy's shoulder in comfort. "I didn't tell Gwen," he confirmed. Merlin sighed in relief, causing the cough to come back for a moment. Gaius waited until he quietened before adding warningly, "Although it's likely she will find out. And she'd want to know, at any rate."

"What's wrong with Gwen knowing?" Gwaine asked, genuine curious but also amused.

Merlin made a face. "She's great, it's just that she fusses," he explained hoarsely, and grimaced at what was probably a sore throat by now. "And she's still not over that one time I got poisoned, every time that there's something wrong with me."

“That sounds like something I wouldn’t be over either,” Gwaine pointed out reasonably.

“Well, be that as it may,” Gaius interrupted Merlin’s attempt at another glare, “You are ill and you will be staying in bed before you make it worse.” He gave his ward a pointed look that eased slightly into worry. Merlin deflated at the admission and sighed.

Slowly, he gathered up his blanket and got to his feet with a wince against a headache that made itself known upright, but swayed only slightly before turning his feet towards his room. He paused to give Gwaine a look that said not to tell anyone about this. As though they would think him weak for falling ill or some other ridiculous notion.

Gwaine kindly didn’t roll his eyes at his friend’s ignorance of people caring, instead giving the boy a reassuring nod and a fond grin. “Stop whining. You’ll be back up to your normal mischief tomorrow,” he said with a cheer he didn’t quite feel – the boy was looking extremely pale and it was rather disquieting to see him like this.

But, instead of dwelling on that, or seeking reassurance for his own worries, Gwaine waved a hand in farewell as he left the quarters and Gaius guided Merlin to the back room.

While determinedly not thinking about the situation, he almost missed a blur of servant girl passing him in a corridor, hurrying in the direction of the physician’s chamber. Gwaine grinned properly this time. Looked like Gwen had found out.

Merlin would be fine.

* * *

Merlin was not up and about the following day. 

Gwaine managed to get a grunt from Arthur that the servant hadn't been in all day when the knight finally got a moment to check in by late afternoon. A nearby village was having trouble with some attempted murders, and Lancelot - who had already been there for a day with a patrol - sent word that there was another attack late last night. The combination of the loss of Camelot's people, and the missing manservant, meant that anyone who dared enter the prince's chambers should prepare themselves for a battle.

Elyan had ended up having to recruit some knights to hunt down Gwen by morning, and found her oddly on the battlements. Apparently she had been standing out in the pouring rain with buckets. When questioned by Leon after Gwaine threw a towel at her in amusement, she said stubbornly that rainwater was strong in the elements, or something.

Percival glanced at Gwaine in confusion, who shrugged. He doubted Gaius would actually tell someone to stand out in the cold and get wet. More likely, the serving girl had been kindly chivvied away from tending to her friend, and had tried to help in another way.

He left Elyan scolding his sister about how falling ill herself wasn't going to help anyone, and wandered to the physician's chambers himself in forced casualness. 

Gaius was standing at a bench frowning, but not looking particularly too harassed, which helped the knight calm his inner worry a small bit. He knocked on the door after opening it to announce his presence, causing the old physician to look up.

"Sir Gwaine," Gaius greeted, and Gwaine waved a hand in distaste.

"Come on, there's no need for titles."

Gaius peered at him, seemingly almost impressed, over the steam from some potion bubbling away on a burner. "Of course." He turned down the flame so he could address the knight properly. "What brings you here?" He asked, politely pretending he didn't already know. 

As Gwaine opened his mouth to reply, there was a loud bought of coughing from the other room, muffled slightly by the mostly-closed door. Gaius didn't react, but was obviously listening closely, and waited until the sound stopped before letting out a sigh. "Merlin is still unwell," he informed Gwaine unnecessarily, looking back to the potion on the table to turn the flame off as some liquid threatened to spill over out of the beaker.

"So I hear," Gwaine agreed mildly, trying not to show concern. He wondered if he was any better at it than Arthur. The prince was always quite obvious in his feelings, even if he refused to acknowledge or show them. Which was a point of amusement for Gwaine. "Gwen was standing out in the rain," he decided to say. Gaius gave him an odd look.

"Why?" The physician sounded genuinely confused, confirming that he hadn't asked the girl to do such a thing.

"Collecting rainwater apparently."

Gaius frowned. "Whatever for?" He asked, then, as an answer, the coughing began again. "Oh," Gaius realised, and sighed. He was surrounded by people who were too kind for their own good. When the sound didn't peeter off like last time, he glanced to the back door with worry. "Well, tell the silly girl not to stand out in the rain," he told Gwaine, and gave him a quick nod before turning to the back room, adding over his shoulder, "If you'll excuse me."

Gwaine stood there for a moment longer, unsure if he wanted to listen in or not as Gaius left the door half-open and approached the bed. He could hear Merlin grumbling every now and again as Gaius spoke comfortingly. 

"Here, sit up. Calm yourself, Merlin." After a moment, the coughing stopped, and Merlin mumbled something about hurting, which was quite the admission for him. Gwaine frowned. No doubt the boy wouldn't admit something of the like around anyone else than his guardian. "It would hurt less if you stopped trying to talk," came a mild chastening. Gwaine smiled to himself. Typical.

He stood there a short while longer, hearing Gaius insisting on Merlin taking various medicine, and grumbled responses to the fussing. "Hush. Lie back down and try and get some more rest." There was a worried pause. "Your fever is still quite high. I'll get some new cold water for the cloth in a moment."

It wasn't entirely reassuring, but Gwaine knew that Merlin was strong, and was in the best possible hands, as ever. So he left the two to their home, trusting it would all work out well.

* * *

The next day he probably looked almost as frazzled as Arthur. Although, Gwaine mused, watching the prince pace his bedroom with shirt askew and one sock on, maybe not quite that bad.

After a short conversation in which they just repeated the same things as yesterday - yes, the village was still being tended to; yes, Gwen was fine (why Arthur couldn't leave his chambers or even ask the serving girl to show up himself, Gwaine didn't know); and yes, Merlin was still sick - Gwaine thankfully left the room, almost running into a very harassed looking servant who was holding a non-torn shirt, presumably for the prince to wear. In case he decided to attend anywhere, supposedly.

He made another brief trip to the physician chambers, a little apprehensive as to what state the place would be in today. He almost wished Merlin was 'at the tavern' as Arthur constantly complained, despite Gwaine's insistence that in all his visits, he had yet to see the boy around.

Arthur had waved that off, and Gwaine rolled his eyes. It was almost as if the prince wanted to be lied to sometimes.

But a brief glance inside the room revealed no one present. Cautiously, Gwaine walked in, opting to remain silent. He looked around without touching anything, since Gaius could be quite fearsome if you messed with his benches, not to mention to possibility of accidental poisoning. Predictably, his feet took him to the back room door, and he hesitated before pushing it lightly, freezing when it creaked.

Through the fair gap Gwaine had made into the dark room, he saw Gaius look up and immediately hold a finger to his lips. The physician was sitting next to the bed, various vials and a bowl next to him on the bedside table. Gwaine nodded distractly as he took in a lump on the bed that was shivering slightly. He could see a white cloth covering sweaty hair on a pale face, looking like it was about to fall off. Just before it did, Gaius reached out and caught it, dipping it in the bowl and wringing it out slightly before placing it gently back on Merlin's forehead, brushing some hair out the way in a tender gesture.

Gwaine retreated, pulling the door to a little until it creaked again, letting Gaius know of his exit. 

* * *

"Should we... write to his mother or something?" Gwaine asked hesitantly. He had no idea how actual families worked. Did they need to be informed of things like this?

Gaius looked up from the mortar and pestle with a surprisingly gentle expression on his face, though there was still worry in his eyes. "There's no need to look like that, Gwaine," he chided kindly. "He's quite ill, but it's not that bad."

Gwaine bit his lip as coughing rose from the bedroom again. Gwen's soft voice came through the half-open door, trying to soothe. It certainly sounded that bad. But he supposed that Gaius, who had been a physician for longer than Gwaine had been alive, would know when things were 'that bad'. And Gwaine wanted to stop thinking about things being 'that' bad because Merlin was the first friend he'd dared to make in a long time and if he lost the bright boy it would be awful.

So if Gaius said it was alright, Gwaine was going to believe him for as long as possible.

He glanced around the physician's chambers, feeling a little useless. He was a knight, a fighter, not a healer. Sure, he could be gentle when needed, but he had no idea how to help someone beyond quiet words every now and again. Although when he had half-heartedly tried some of those words on Arthur, he'd got a pillow thrown at his face and had a shouting match instead.

How Merlin managed to deal with that prat all day every day, and chose to stay at his side, was beyond Gwaine. But so were a lot of things. He wasn't the brightest; everyone said so. The intelligence he did have was dimmed in order to seem even more incapable, and came in handy often.

"How's the castle?" Gaius asked, jolting Gwaine out of his thoughts. Gwaine cleared his throat, grateful for the interruption, and if Gaius' knowing expression was anything to go by, he knew it.

He shrugged. "Well, Arthur can barely get dressed on his own, Lancelot is still out on that damn patrol; Gwen, who seems like she's never dropped a thing in her life, has been almost as clumsy as Merlin on a good day, and the rest of the knights are sulking about the corridors, refusing to check in because they're men, but the weather's too bad for training, so there's nothing to hit and feel better."

Gwaine took a breath after his tirade, and looked impassively at Gaius who chuckled quietly for a moment. 

"You know Arthur actually said, out loud, that the castle wouldn't grind to a halt because Merlin is ill," he added, getting tired of rolling his eyes at the Prince's antics. "That was days ago. Yet here we are. The man can't even find trousers in the right size!"

Gaius smiled to himself a little, trying to hide it by sorting out vials on a table. "The prince finds it... difficult to expression emotion," he said delicately. Gwaine snorted. "And often doesn't admit what others mean to him until there's an... event like this."

"Lancelot's the opposite," Gwaine muttered after a moment, thinking about how worried the knight would be if he were here. He and Merlin had some sort of bond Gwaine couldn't quite fathom. And he didn't blame them - heaven knew he had been enamoured by the boy since they first met. "He's going to unbearable when he gets back," he added, wondering if he would be able to excuse himself to the tavern with another knight on duty.

"I thought he was being kept appraised of the situation?" Gaius said mildly, glancing over his shoulder in question.

Gwaine sighed again. "Not of this," he replied, having not agreed with the prince's insistence of that in the first place, but admittedly it was probably a good idea. "Arthur thought he might speed things up to return if he knew about Merlin," he explained. Gaius nodded wisely, agreeing with the ruling.

There was a peaceful silence as Gaius ground herbs together. It was broken by more hoarse coughing, and Gwaine eyed the door in concern.

"Are you sure he's going to be alright?" He asked quietly, finally allowing himself to speak what had been on his mind for days. When he looked over, Gaius was staring at something on a table, and Gwaine frowned as he realised it was a note written in what he assumed was Merlin's hand. The scrawl was endearingly messy but legible and well formed, and Gwaine found himself wondering who had taught the boy to write like that - his mother? Gaius himself?

The physician nodded slowly as the coughing died down, and turned his attention back the herb mixture, grinding it with more grimness in his expression, and eventually said, with an unusual tightness, "He should be."

* * *

Gwaine found himself hurrying through the corridors the following evening, trying to catch up with the footsteps up ahead.

He'd been considering visiting to see if there was any improvement in Merlin's state since yesterday, but Gwen had found him wandering around undecidedly, and urgently informed him that Arthur was out of his mind. 

She then backtracked, apologised for speaking ill of her prince, and blushed, which Gwaine might have found sweet in other circumstances, but in this case he rather wanted to know what the man could have done to have Guinevere so hasty. Apparently Arthur had yelled at another servant, who went to Gwen in tears, and she had marched up to scold the man herself, only to find him running out of his chambers, calling something like "I can't do this any more!"

It sounded hilariously dramatic, but Gwen was worried, so Gwaine kindly agreed to find their wayward royal. 

He sped up around a corner enough to glimpse Arthur thundering down another corridor, and called out, but the prat apparently refused to hear him, and stormed around another corner. Gwaine rolled his eyes and followed, muttering about ungrateful princes and what he could be doing at this time of night, which was mostly to do with the tavern.

After a few more hallways - why was this castle so big again? - Gwaine finally realised where the man was headed, and increased into a run, hoping to catch Arthur before he reached his destination. But it had to be said that the prince was fast, and Gwaine had only started sprinting up the stairs when Arthur arrived at the door.

The knight barely had time to yell, "No, Arthur, don't--!" Before the door was slammed open.

Gwaine arrived at the threshold and drew up next to Arthur, panting a little and ready to drag said prince away, when he took in the room.

Gaius had paused briefly in offering Merlin a steaming cup, giving the visitors an unimpressed look before turning back to his ward, who took the mug with a grateful smile. Merlin himself was perched on a chair, blanket draped lightly around his shoulders this time, and dressed in usual tunic and trousers. He took a sip from the mug, watching the knights in the doorway, before addressing them. "Yes?"

Arthur just glared, the same way he had at Gwaine when the man had contended that Camelot wouldn't descend into frenzy without one manservant. Then he turned on his heel and left without a word, and got to the bottom of the stairs before yelling, "Tomorrow!" 

Assumingly he was meaning that Merlin be back at work on the morrow, but who knew.

Gwaine ignored the shouting, and stepped into the room, giving Merlin the most heartfelt grin he'd worn in days. Gaius put a on his ward's shoulder and Gwaine gave the physician an equally meaningful nod before addressing Merlin. "Feeling better then?"

And the boy smiled, lowering his cup. "Much," he replied, quietly, and very briefly glanced at Gaius, who patted his shoulder silently before stepping away, to attend to something or over that he'd probably put off to care for the warlock. Gwaine found that he didn't care how Merlin had gone from reportedly still almost dangerously ill this morning, to sitting here with normal colour, and even looking lighter than usual.

The specifics didn't matter.

And Gwaine found he didn't miss the tavern that evening; instead sitting in the warmly lit physician's chambers and finally able to talk with his friend was all that mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> This is like. Way longer than I thought and took hours but idk, it's pretty good I think.
> 
> Let me know if you too cry over Merlin's relationships with Gwaine, and Gaius, and Gwen! Everyone beginning with G is great for Merlin confirmed.
> 
> (Also yes I'm meant to be alluding that Gaius used magic bc he only ever uses it to save/help/heal Merlin and I will be softe abt that forever)
> 
> tumblr: strugglingbutstillfighting


End file.
